Shoe insole edge binder



July 19, 19-66 v c o 3,261,045

SHOE INSOLE EDGE BINDER Filed Dec. 13. 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 52 7% WW Huber-Z 11 Vi'kon Mau 55..

July 19, 1966 J- VACHON 3,251,045

sEOE INs oLE EDGE BINDER Filed Dec. 15, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1966 H. J. VACHQN SHOE INSOLE EDGE BINDER Filed Dec. 13 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,261,045 SHOE INSOLE EDGE BINDER Hubert J. Vachon, Lynn, Mass., assignor to Boston Machine Works Company, Lynn, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 330,359

2 Claims. (61. 12-245) This invention relates to a machine for applying to any article requiring an edge binding, such as a part for a shoe, a binder tape 'which is coated on one face with a sticky adhesive. For example, in making footwear in which some or all of the edges of the insole are exposed, as in shoes with open toes or heels, and sandals, it is desirable that the exposed edge portions of the insoles be finished by the application of a binder tape which may he a narrow strip of fine split leather or may be a fabric tape with a leather or leatherette facing to be exposed in the finished shoe or sandal. Tape for this purpose is usually made of hias-cut fabric with a leatherette facing, the fabric face being adhesively cemented to the portions of the edge of an insole which are to be exposed in the finished shoe. Cementitious materials for this purpose, well known in the industry, are usually applied in liquid form to one of the two surfaces to be joined and allowed to dry to a sticky or tacky consistency before the surfaces are brought together. I

In applying hinder tape to edge portions of an insole, in order to avoid diflicu lty in handling a tape having a sticky coating on the cloth side, it has been the practice to coat the margin of the insole with a suitable sticky adhesive and then to apply to the cement-coated surfaces a tape having no adhesive coating thereon. As a step in a manufacturing process, this involves collecting the insoles to the edges of which cement has been applied and supporting them on racks for transfer to the machine for applying the tape. Since the cement is applied to marginal areas on both faces of the insole, it is difficult to avoid fouling the racks with cement from the insoles supported thereby.

An object of the present invention is to avoid these and other troubles inherent in that method by applying a fresh coating of liquid adhesive cement to the cloth side of a binding tape by a suitable coating device such as those shown in Patents Nos. 2,554,131 and 2,574,942, and feeding the coated tape to the hereinafter described machine after the cement has partially dried to a sticky condition for application to edges of uncoated insoles. This machine is shown as attached to a mechanism for progressively pressing a sticky tape into embracing contact with the edge of an object requiring a binding. The machine curls the tape transversely to form a longitudinal channel with the sticky face inside as it is fed to the object requiring a binding, this being done with a minimum of contact with the sticky face of the tape. The pressing mechanism is combined with a feeding means which draws the tape from the machine as it is being pressed on the edge of the work-piece. The successive objects to be edged are manually presented to the apparatus and means are provided for severing the tape at the conclusion of each operation.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawings, of which FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of mechanism embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side view of a portion of the support means for the mechanism shown in FIGURE FIGURE 3 is a plan View of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism;

FIGURE 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 66 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary elevation of the guide channel and feed claw shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a section of the guide channel, on the line 88 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view of the .guide channel with a liner therein to he fitted by a narrower tape;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary .plan view, on a larger scale, of the 'binder head shown in FIGURE 5, with a tape passing therethrough;

FIGURE 11 is .a fragmentary front elevational view of the binder head and tape shown in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view of i the binder head shown in FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary elevational view of the cutter shown in FIGURE 4 but as seen from the opposite direction and in a different positon of operation.

The mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 1 is an attachment adapted to he bolted to the bed 20 of a conventional stitching machine only a few parts of which are illustrated, these being a fragment of a post 22 which supports a feed foot 24 the upper end of which is partly surrounded by a feed foot plate 26 secured to the top of the post 22, an upper feed member 28, and a presser foot 30. The latter two members are suitably supported above the feed foot plate 26 in the customary manner and when the stitching machine is in operation they are lowered by connections to a pedal (not shown) to cooperate with the feed foot 24 in feeding the work-piece and tape step by step and in pressing the tape against the margins of the insole as it is being fed.

The attachment comprises a base 32 which helps to support the post 22 on a side of which is an upright member 34. A bracket 35 is vertically slidable on the upright 34 and is held against the upright by screws 26 which pass through slots 37 in the bracket to limit its vertical movement. The bracket carries mechanism including the binder head, hereinafter described, for shaping a binder tape as it is applied to the edge of an insole and during the operation of the mechanism it is lifted against gravity by the engagement of the insole in the groove of the binder head to keep the edge of the insole centered in the groove as successive portions of different thickness enter the groove. A stop element 38, mounted on the post 22 below the bracket 35 limits the downward movements of the bracket, and is adjusted to support the bracket in such a position that the binder head is in position to receive the thinnest portion of the edge of an insole.

On the upper end of the bracket 35 is fixed a platform 40. An extension 42 is bolted to the under face of the platform at one end thereof. Another extension 44 (FIG. 3) is bolted to the top face of the platform 40 near the other end thereof. Rotatably mounted on the extension 42 is a roller 46 which bulges slightly and turns about a vertical axis to guide a tape T from a suitable source (not shown) to a shallow guide channel 48 fixed to an edge of the platform 40, said channel having a vertical back wall and low side walls. A tooth 50 is pressed by a spring 52 on a pin 54 against the roller 46 to prevent the tape T from being retracted after it has passed the tooth 50. The guide channel 48 has a separate portion 56 aligned therewith and spaced therefrom by a narrow slot 58 arranged to receive the edge of a blade 60 (FIG. 4) to sever from the supplied tape T the leading end portion which is being applied to an insole to bind the edge thereof.

At the discharge end of the guide channel 48, 56 the tape enters the binder head 62 which has an open groove with a U-shaped cross-section in which the tape is transversely curled to a similar cross-section so as to embrace the edge of an insole S inserted in the binder head, as indicated in FIGURE 11. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the binder head 62 is located in proximity to the feeding and pressing mechanism of the stitching machine so that the feeding and pressing mechanism operates on the edge of the insole at a point close to the portion of the edge which is in the groove of the binder head where it is being embraced by the binder tape. The feeding elements 24, 28 hitch the insole edge and tape thereon along step by step. Between successive feeding movements, the presser foot strikes down to press the tape and insole margin against feed foot plate 26. The tape is thus pulled along by the feeding mechanism in step with the edge of the insole to which it is being applied as a binder. When the feeding mechanism approaches the end of the edge portion to which the tape is being applied, the operator severs the tape by a quick movement of the blade 60. For this purpose the blade 60 is clamped on a suitable holder 64 mounted at the end of an arm 66 which is pivoted at 68 between a pair of ears 70 on the extension 44 of the platform 40. The arm 66 can be readily swung down against the restoring force of a spring 72 by pressing on a finger tab 74. When the arm swings down, the blade 60, as it enters the narrow slot 58 in the guide channel 48, 56, makes a draw out through the tape. The blade is promptly restored to its normal position by the spring 72 which rocks the arm 66 upward when released. Since the blade cuts through a tape coated with a sticky adhesive cement, it is desirable that the blade be kept free from deposits of cement thereon picked up from the tape when it makes a cut. For this purpose a wiper pad 76 of felt or the like is mounted just above the slot 58. The pad projects out over the guide channel 48, 56 and its end has a slit aligned with the slot 58 so that when the blade descends, the edge slides in the slit and is thus wiped. As is evident from FIGURE 4, when the blade 60 swings down from .its normal elevated position, its path is arcuate about the pivot 68 so that it moves inward as it descends. To wipe the entire cutting edge of the blade, the end of the pad 76 projects forward far enough to engage the blade at its lower corner when the blade is elevated. The pad is arranged to yield toward the rear when the blade descends with a rearward movement as well as the downward movement. To this end a leaf spring 78 is arranged to bear on the pad 76, one end of the spring being secured at 80 to the platform extension 44, the other end of the spring being broadened at 82 to cap the pad 76 so as to hold it in alignment with the blade edge, this end of the spring having an extremity 84 digging into the pad to press it yieldingly forward and downward.

After the blade has been operated to sever the tape and the remaining inch or so of the severed piece has been applied to the insole, the presser foot and upper feeder are lifted and the insole is removed from the binder head.

Since the tape has been severed at the slot 58, the new end must be advanced far enough to extend beyond the binder head before the next operation can be started. To accomplish this a pusher is carried by a lever arm 88 which is pivoted at 90 at its rear end to the platform extension 44. The arm 88 is pressed by a spring 92 against a fixed stop 94 but can be swung to the left until it engages another fixed stop 96. The forward end of the arm 88 extends over the guide channel 48 and carries a threaded pin 98 which extends down in front of the guide channel. The pusher carried by the arm 88 comprises a finger piece 100 which is pivoted on the pin 98 by means of two loops 99. These loops embrace the pin 98 and are a part of a small plate 101 of spring steel. Also integral with the plate 101 are three teeth 102 which extend toward the left from the pin 98 and are arranged to engage the tape T in the guide channel when 'the finger piece 100 is pressed toward the left. Two staked projections 103 (FIGURES 5 and 6) on the pin 98 between the loops 99 maintain the finger piece at its adjusted level in relation to the guide channel, and also limit its rocking movement about the axis of the pin 98 to a small angle which can be changed by adjustably turning the pin. A narrow strip 104 of spring steel extends to the left from the finger piece in front of the lower portion of the guide channel 48. This strip ends in a single tooth 106 which is adapted to bear on the binder tape in the guide channel 48 when the finger piece 100 is pressed toward the left. A fine spring wire 108 extends to the left from the finger piece 100 above and parallel to the strip 104 and engages the tape T at all times. To advance the binder tape, the operator grasps the finger piece 100 with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand the draws it toward the left. This movement tends to rock the finger piece about the pin 98 and to cause the teeth 102 and 106 to dig into the tape and push it to the left. The tooth 106 and spring 108 keep the tape from curling transversely while in the guide channel. Adjacent to the end of the guide channel 56 is a small curved guide member 110 which is engaged by the end of the tape to turn the tape to the binder head 62. When the tooth 106 reaches the guide member 110 it passes below it and is swung away from contact with the tape by a shoe 112 which then bears on a face of the post 22. This face, as indicated in FIGURE 3, is not aligned with the guide channel 48 but makes an angle therewith. The tape is advanced a sufficient distance to extend beyond the binder head 62. The arm 88 with its pusher, springs back to its normal position and since the teeth 102 are no longer being pressed against the tape, they slide back easily.

When the end of the tape extends beyond the binder head 62 the operator takes an insole S and presses the edge into the channel of the binder head at a point where the binding on the insole is to begin. The entry of the edge of the insole into the binder head channel transversely curls the tape at that point (FIGURES 10 and 11). The presser foot and upper feed member of the stitching machine are then moved down by the operator into operative contact with the insole and end of the binder tape so that the edge of the insole with the binder tape thereon is fed along, the operator handling the insole in such a manner as to keep the edge pressing the tape in the binder head channel until the end of the edge portion to be bound approaches. The tape is then cut as hereinbefore described and the presser foot and upper feed member are lifted when the last of the severed piece of tape has been applied to the insole.

To curl the tape progressively from its flat state in the guide channel 48, 56 to the channel shape it acquires in the open groove in the binder head 62, the longitudinal axis of the binder head groove is set at an angle to that of the guide channel 48, 56 so that the tape in passing from the guide channel to the binder head has to turn an obtuse corner as is evident from FIGURES 3, 5 and 10. To effect the curling operation smoothly, the entering end of the binder head is beveled so that the height of the side walls 114 decreases toward the end of the binder head from their maximum height to zero as indicated in FIGURE 10. As the height of the walls decreases, their rims converge until they meet at the entering end 116 of the binder head. Flanking the side walls 114 are extensions 118 which are undercut as at 120 (FIGURE 12) to provide guide notches for the edges of the tape so that the tape will be kept centered in the binder head groove as it passes through.

Binder tapes come in varying widths, usually A, and The guide channel 48, 56 is made to be fitted by the widest of these tapes. If a narrower size is to be used, an auxiliary channel 122 is fitted in the guide channel 48. The auxiliary channel member 122 has a lip 124 at an end. This lip extends rearward when the member 122 is in position in the channel 48 and is pressed against the end edge of the channel 48 by a leaf spring 126 attached to an edge of the platform 40.

I claim: 1

1. In a machine for applying binding tape which is sticky on one side to the edge of an object requiring an edge binding, said machine including means for feeding the edge of the object and means for pressing progressively a binder tape thereon, a binder head having an open longitudinal groove with a U-shaped cross-section, said binder head being beveled at its entering end whereby the side walls of the groove decrease in height toward said end until their rims meet at said end, a guide channel for tape having a vertical wall and low side walls leading to said binder head, the longitudinal axis of said binder head making an angle of substantial size with the plane of said back wall, means supporting said binder head in operative proximity to said tape feeding means and tape pressing means, manually operable means for cutting across the tape in said guide channel, said cutting means including a knife blade in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said guide channel, and means automatically wiping said blade after each cutting operation.

2. In a machine for applying binding tape to the edge of an insole, said machine including a frame, means on said frame for supporting an edge portion of a manually held insole, means supported by said frame for feeding the edge of said insole and means progressively pressing a binder tape on said edge as it is fed, a bracket, means mounting said bracket on said frame for limited vertical sliding movement thereon, an adjustable stop on said frame engaged by said bracket to determine the low position of said bracket, mechanism mounted on said bracket for feeding and progressively shaping a binder tape into embracing contact with said edge, said mechanism including a binder head in operative proximity to said feeding means and pressing means, said binder head having an open groove and including an upper portion spaced above said insole support means, and a guide channel having a vertical back wall and low side walls leading to said binder head, said binder head and guide channel being movable upward with said bracket by the engagement of an insole edge thicker than the normal spacing between said insole support means and the upper portion of the binder head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,958,965 5/ 1934 Goldberg l224.5 X 2,224,139 12/ 1940 Campbell l224.5 2,249,810 7/1941 Douglass l224.5 2,273,346 2/ 1942 Campbell 1224.5 2,354,476 7/ 1944 Poole l224.5 X 2,354,491 7/1944 Valentine 1224.5 X 3,040,347 6/1962 Paulsen l224.5

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

P. D. LAWSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR APPLYING BINDING TAPE WHICH IS STICKY ON ONE SIDE OF THE EDGE OF AN OBJECT REQUIRING AN EDGE BINDING, SAID MACHINE INCLUDING MEANS FOR FEEDING THE EDGE OF THE OBJECT AND MEANS FOR PRESSING PROGRESSIVELY A BINDER TAPE THEREON, A BINDER HEAD HAVING AN OPEN LONGITUDINAL GROOVE WITH A U-SHAPED CROSS-SECTION, SAID BINDER HEAD BEING BEVELED AT ITS ENTERING END WHEREBY THE SIDE WALLS OF THE GROOVE DECREASE IN HEIGHT TOWARD SAID END UNTIL THEIR RIMS MEET AT SAID END, A GUIDE CHANNEL FOR TAPE HAVING A VERTICAL WALL AND LOW SIDE WALLS LEADING TO SAID BINDER HEAD, THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BINDER HEAD MAKING AN ANGLE OF SUBSTANTIAL SIZE WITH THE PLANE OF SAID BACK WALL, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BINDER HEAD IN OPERATIVE PROXIMITY TO SAID TAPE FEEDING MEANS AND TAPE PRESSING MEANS, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR CUTTING ACROSS THE TAPE IN SAID GUIDE CHANNEL, SAID CUTTING MEANS INCLUDING A KNIFE BLADE IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID GUIDE CHANNEL, AND MEANS AUTOMATICALLY WIPING SAID BLADE AFTER EACH CUTTING OPERATION. 